und, aber, oder — Joining German Sentences
After this lesson you can link two sentences without disturbing the word order.
Do this first: Verb position
Übungen
Eight exercises on what you just watched. Get 80% and the lesson is marked done and added to your A1 progress.
1 / 8 · Type the missing word
2 / 8 · Type the missing word
3 / 8 · Word order
Put the words in the right order.
We eat and drink.
4 / 8 · Word order
Put the words in the right order.
Would you like water or wine?
5 / 8 · Choose
What does und mean?
6 / 8 · Choose
What does aber mean?
7 / 8 · Choose
What does oder mean?
8 / 8 · Choose
What does denn mean?
In short
und (and), aber (but), oder (or), denn (because) and sondern (but rather) join two main clauses and leave the word order completely alone. The verb stays in position two on both sides — unlike weil, which sends it to the end.
How it works
You already know one kind of conjunction: weil, dass, wenn and obwohl, which push the verb to the end of the clause (lesson 17). This lesson is the other kind, and it is much easier, because these five change nothing at all.
und, aber, oder, denn and sondern are coordinating conjunctions. They sit between two complete main clauses and do not count as a slot, so the verb on each side stays exactly where it would be on its own. Ich lerne Deutsch und ich wohne in Berlin — verb second on both sides, no rearranging.
Two are worth care. Denn means "because" and, unlike weil, leaves the word order alone: Ich bleibe zu Hause, denn ich bin müde versus Ich bleibe zu Hause, weil ich müde bin. Same meaning, opposite word order — they are the cleanest possible test of whether you have understood the rule. And sondern means "but" only after a negative, replacing something that was just denied: Das ist nicht Kaffee, sondern Tee.
| German | English | Example |
|---|---|---|
| und | and | Ich lerne und ich arbeite. |
| aber | but | Ich lerne, aber es ist schwer. |
| oder | or | Kommst du, oder bleibst du? |
| denn | because | Ich bleibe, denn ich bin müde. |
| sondern | but rather | Nicht Kaffee, sondern Tee. |
| Conjunction | Word order | Example |
|---|---|---|
| denn | verb stays second | Ich bleibe zu Hause, denn ich bin müde. |
| weil | verb goes to the end | Ich bleibe zu Hause, weil ich müde bin. |
| Use | When | Example |
|---|---|---|
| aber | general contrast | Es ist teuer, aber gut. |
| sondern | after a negative, correcting it | Das ist nicht Kaffee, sondern Tee. |
Examples
- Ich lerne Deutsch und ich wohne in Berlin.I am learning German and I live in Berlin.
- Ich lerne Deutsch, aber es ist schwer.I am learning German, but it is hard.
- Kommst du mit, oder bleibst du hier?Are you coming, or are you staying here?
- Ich bleibe zu Hause, denn ich bin müde.I am staying home, because I am tired.
- Das ist nicht Kaffee, sondern Tee.That is not coffee, but tea.
- Wir essen und trinken.We eat and drink.
- Es ist teuer, aber sehr gut.It is expensive, but very good.
- Möchtest du Wasser oder Wein?Would you like water or wine?
- Ich komme nicht heute, sondern morgen.I am not coming today, but tomorrow.
- Sie arbeitet, und er kocht.She works, and he cooks.
Mistakes to avoid
✗ Ich bleibe, denn ich müde bin.
✓ Ich bleibe, denn ich bin müde.
denn is not weil. It leaves the word order untouched — the verb stays in position two.
✗ Das ist nicht Kaffee, aber Tee.
✓ Das ist nicht Kaffee, sondern Tee.
After a negative, correcting it, German uses sondern. aber is for a general contrast, not a replacement.
✗ Ich lerne Deutsch und wohne ich in Berlin.
✓ Ich lerne Deutsch und ich wohne in Berlin.
und does not occupy a slot, so no inversion happens. The second clause starts fresh.
✗ Treating denn and dann as the same word
✓ denn = because, dann = then
They look alike and mean entirely different things. Dann is sequence in time; denn is a reason.
Wortschatz
The words from this lesson.
| und | and | |
| aber | but | |
| oder | or | |
| denn | because | |
| sondern | but rather | |
| dann | then | not the same as denn |
| schwer | hard, difficult; heavy | |
| teuer | expensive | |
| billig | cheap | |
| der Wein | wine |
Kulturnotiz
German writing joins clauses far more freely than English does — a single German sentence often carries two or three linked ideas where English would use full stops. That is why German prose looks long: it is not verbosity, it is a different tolerance for sentence length. Getting comfortable with und, aber and denn is the first step to reading a German newspaper without running out of breath.
Common questions
+Do these conjunctions change the word order?
No — und, aber, oder, denn and sondern leave both clauses exactly as they were. Only the subordinating group (weil, dass, wenn, obwohl) sends the verb to the end.
+What is the difference between denn and weil?
Meaning: none, both are "because". Grammar: denn leaves the verb in position two, weil sends it to the end. Ich bleibe, denn ich bin müde / Ich bleibe, weil ich müde bin.
+When do I use sondern instead of aber?
Only after a negative, when you are replacing what was denied: nicht X, sondern Y. For an ordinary contrast — "expensive but good" — use aber.
+Is denn the same as dann?
No. Denn is "because" (a reason); dann is "then" (a sequence). They are one letter apart and constantly confused.